It’s no secret that healthcare costs in the United States are high and that health equity is a big focus in healthcare right now. What many people don’t know is that rural healthcare is not only struggling with these challenges but they have many other additional challenges as well. Rural areas struggle with technology challenges. Have you ever been camping in the woods and had poor connection? Imagine being a nurse trying to connect to an EMR system in a rural area during a storm, this is one of the big challenges in rural healthcare. What about low patient volume? When your hospital sits between acreages that have 3 houses every 30 miles, your ER most likely isn’t going to get a lot of traffic. There are also challenges with workforce shortages. Finding healthcare professionals willing to drive an hour or two to work can be challenging if the specific professionals you need don’t live in that rural area.

Hypesmith wanted to dive into these challenges with our team at the Indiana Rural Health Conference to gain more information to address these challenges with the intention to better serve our clients. Conferences are a great way to expand your knowledge, connect with other professionals in your field, and hear from key leaders in your industry about innovative ways to tackle challenges. Our team attended trainings at this conference that focused on resources, accessibility, and overcoming health disparities in rural healthcare. We walked away from this conference with a better understanding of how to help our clients who are facing these challenges. We’re hyped about applying this new information to our strategies for our clients working in rural healthcare. For help with your strategic healthcare marketing plan for your rural healthcare agency, contact Hypesmith!